My Son Wants to be a Refrigerator: A Small Mishap in Russian

Last week I passed the half-way mark of my time here in Kyrgyzstan.  Time is just tickin' away, and I really don't mind.  I love being here but I like things to move along too.  Fall is especially in the air today.  For a little while there I thought we might skip winter.  It snowed and rained and I made soup and wore multiple layers of socks to bed, praying that Bishkek would turn the heat on.  But today is warm and lovely and yellow. And it is Kurman Eid, a Muslim holiday.  We have off from classes and this morning I had the privilege of making manti with Mira Eje.  Just look at these little beauties:

 

   

 It is truly marvelous what a bit dough and blue floral cloth in a warm kitchen can do for your spirits.  We steamed the manti and got all ready and then friends from the dorm at London School came over.  When I went to meet them at the bus stop I couldn't help thinking that with the changing leaves, the hazy fall air, and the festive feeling at home, it was sort of a Thanksgiving in October.  We even put the extra leaf in the table like we do at the Walters house.   

In other news, Russian language progress is slow.  But it seems to have its mountains and valleys and this week we're just wandering through a valley. Possibly one with quicksand and Rodents of Unusual Size.  Probably I just need to study more. 

When I have mastered Russian verbs of motion I shall feel that I have gained a superpower.  I'm going to feel very superior around non-Russian speakers and still extremely humbled around everyone else.  Most of all I will have the simple power of the word "go" at my disposal.  Ah, I dream of this.


At least there are amusing moments.  For example, I have a chronic problem with confusing the words for "refrigerator" and the word for "artist," which in Russian are: "xoлодильник" (kholodilnik) and "художник" (khudozhnik).  My conversation instructor asked me to write in Russian about a book I like.  So I chose "My Name is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok.  Well, that was just great, until I really got down to business relating the plot...

"Asher Lev is a Hebrew boy who wants to be a refrigerator.  His father is angry because he wants to be a refrigerator..."     

I should have had more understanding for Asher Lev's dad.  I would probably be a bit peeved if my son wanted to be a refrigerator, too.  Ah, life is never dull.